Beach Bums and Bleached Blondes- So-Cal-09 The Real Deal finale 4/25 updated on 5/6

mar52


Dale, I have a question about Chicago and the airport.

Do you actually leave the airport?  If the answer is yes, don't you worry about getting back in time?

Don't you worry about getting back in time?

My nerves wouldn't allow it.

Mar

No I didn't leave the airport- everything was right there in the terminal.

The Korean BBQ looks wonderful!

Nothing Like a good meal with RF friends.  It is great to be able to put faces with names.

Looks like a great time and wonderful food at Philippe's
 
WJ - this looks like a great trip thus far 

What a day it was.  Thank you Dale for putting it together.  I believe I can speak for everyone when I say we had a great time.

mikeam


The Korean BBQ looks wonderful!

Mikeam

 
When I'm done with this monstrosity of a trip report, I'm going to rate the following:
 
Best Atmosphere
 
Best Overall Dining Experience
 
Best Meal
 
Biggest Dissapointment
 
Been There/Done That
 
There will be more than one winner in each category, but just to give you guys a sneak preview, Park's BBQ shares along with two other restaurants, the best overall dining experience award.
 
 

being revised

Monday April 20

Before I begin Monday's trip report, I forgot to mention, I did not eat anything at the Dodgers game on Saturday- just a bottled water

I woke up early and decided to head to a coffee house near my new hotel called Catalina Coffee Company...it was only half a mile away and their website seemed interesting...As I headed towards the coffee house I didn't realize how close I was to the beach- only a five minute walk - what an amazing bargain at the Ramada for $54 a night!

I took a slight detour and took some photos







That's the pier in the background



I then went to the the coffee house- nice beach front atmosphere- ok- it's actually a block away from the beach, but mediocre coffee.....

I deliberately waited for rush hour traffic to subside (does it ever really subside in LA?)
before returning to the place that was closed on Sunday. It was going to be another hot day today- well into the 90's



Aguas Tijuana Juice Bar in Downey...supposedly modeled after an old style Baja Style Juice Stand such as this one....



They had everything including mexican soda, mexican ices, mexican candy and mexican food....

Here is just a portion of their menu board



I decided to get the Banana Strawberry Mango Smoothie. You have the choice to have it made with milk or orange juice- I chose orange juice..



The smoothie had a heavy banana - mango taste and I wondered if they used milk instead of orange juice, because again it tasted  more like a shake. I enjoyed it and it didn't have that heavy yogurty- dairy taste that the smoothie at Juices Fountain had the day beforehand. After my late morning (11AM) smoothie I decided it was time for lunch #1- first stop-



El Tepeyac- in the Boyle Heights Section of LA- near East LA

This is the real deal- the barrio!

Here's a portion of their menu



The Hollenbeck Burrito- named after the local police precinct...You can order a "Manuel Special" burrito too for just under $20



Just look at the size of this monstrosity- I can only imagine how big the "Manuel Special" is... and yes it was every bit as tasty as it looks- not incredibly spicy- but the marinated pork was bursting with amazing flavor...
 
I only finished a little more than half so I can get to lunch #2



Los Cinco Puntos

Also in Boyle Heights steps away from from the East LA border, it was previously written about by Ayersian in the roadfood blog and the fact that they make the corn tortillas right there just drew me right there..


This is a bodega style "Mexican Deli" with takeout service only





I decided on the carnitas tacos- I asked for just about everything- but nothing too spicy- this is Cal- Mex cuisine of course- I deliberately asked the counter man to hold off on wrapping it up so I can take photos first-



I hit pay dirt twice in one meal!
It was probably the best taco I've ever had- unfortunately I was so full at this point I could only finish half of the second taco...

After my two gut busting lunches....I drove up to Malibu. I've never been and have heard amazing things...Once you get off the Freeway in Santa Monica- the drive up from there was amazing....First I turned off and went into the canyons..





and then hit Malibu Bluffs Park and walked the hiking trail for some incredible views of the coastline..







I wanted to check out more on Malibu but was running short on time (or so I thought) I wanted to check out The Getty Center before dinner and had a few hours to kill...

I arrived at The Getty Center just after 3pm and the guard advised me they were closed on Mondays- I can't believe it I just got "Travelin Manned!"
My triple A guide book said they would be open today. The guard advised me that they "just started" closing on Mondays but assured me they would be open on Tuesday- well unfortunately I have other things going on Tuesday...and for the rest of the week for that matter so unfortunately It looks like the Getty Center simply won't be in the cards for this trip.

I had a few extra hours to kill, but didn't want to venture too far and be late for our meet n greet dinner...

I decided to head back towards Santa Monica (big mistake)

Yes the Beach there is really nice





and the palm lined streets are really cool



And I even had the chance to walk by this place



But, no I didn't go there- I would have if I had more time- Maybe next time..

However the traffic from Santa Monica to Studio City was beyond brutal....I left Santa Monica at 4:35 pm.....about  1/2 hour later and 12 miles away from Studio City, I had no alternative but to "put my GPS" into action and get off the freeway and see where it would take me if I want to be on time for our 6pm meal....

After battling bumper to bumper but moving traffic on Santa Monica Blvd, Melrose Avenue,  "something something canyon road" I ended up on Ventura Blvd..
at 5:45pm at



Big Glenn and his son, Shane, arrived shortly afterwards, then Mar52, and a few minutes later, Morganen, but where's Elise T?

First thing I noticed when I walked into the restaurant were the decorations and trinkets everywhere- on the wall on the ceiling...you name it...









Even the menu is pasted on the wall!



For a detailed description of the meal see Mar52's review on the California Meet n Greet thread

I agree with Mar52's assessment of the meal.. except I did not think that the Yakisoba broth was slimy, I actually thought it went well with the soba noodles..

I won't provide a detailed description but will include my photos..

We started out with appetizers and then ordered main dishes to share among us..

Half way through dinner, Elise T called and said she was on her way..

I enjoyed the baby squid



But thought the Shogun Rolls were a little blah




The Stuffed Pumkin, stuffed with chicken veggies and served with a delicious ginger sauce was my favorite





and I thought the broth complimented the soba noodles quite well



and you can never go wrong with Chicken Gyoza



Then the main courses arrived...

Morganen's fish dish



Then Shane and Big Glenn's chicken dishes- they actually had fried chicken on the menu, and I was joking around with Glenn who is an Arkansas boy if he was planning on getting some.




I believe the bottom dish was Hawiaian Chicken

and my Seared Albacore Poki Bowl with brown rice...



Yes- that's seaweed that you see- I enjoyed my main meal- it had an underlying gingery, sesame soy sauce my only gripe was I thought they were stingy with the albacore..

Either way...



I think we were all very satisified with our meals..

sometime during dinner, Elise T arrived and suggested we go somewhere for dessert and I'm glad she did! We drove a few blocks (still in Studio City) (I actually went with Big Glenn and Shane) and we met at The Aroma Cafe, but our first stop a few doors down was



 The Gelato Bar




Here's only a "sample" of their gelato selection..




I went with the Caffe and Cinammon, I first tried the Cinnamon which simply tasted like a sweet cinammon stick in gelatto form, and then finished off the Caffe which was even better...



Here's a sample of what we all ordered, don't ask me what the other flavors were- I have no idea...



after Gelato, we walked across the street to



This is the place where "Barretta" supposedly "offed" his wife..

and finally our last stop of the evening was the Aroma Cafe




Seeing these tantalizing cakes, I had to take photos, but after my first photo I was politely asked not to take any more photos- ok at least I have one..

Elise T ordered this..





Yes, it looks amazing, I had a bite, and it tastes even better than it looks. Too bad I was too full to get something on my own.....

After some further after dinner conversation, we walked back outside and Big Glenn showed us all some amazing things he can do with handcuffs, but I won't get into that and will let Big Glenn elaborate if he wants to...

After a fun and busy day, Big Glenn drove me back to my car and a little over 30 miles later I was back at my hotel in Redondo Beach...

Part 5 tomorrow

Going back to the picture of Mako's California Roll...you said they use real crab meat?  Is that what they told you?  If they did, then they got one over on ya.  That's krab (surimi) for sure. 

Nancypalooza


Dale, this may never happen again, so here you go: I agree with you about the Char-Grill.  I've had Tommy's and In-N-Out (but not the Apple Pan burger), and I would gladly take the Char-Grill over either of those.

Dale does BURGERS in L.A. ! I'm loving your "part 1" !!
And I ALSO agree with you regarding In-N-Out, Apple Pan, and Tommy's as all being ordinary...
with no WOW factor .....   (I realize so many others LOVE these places; more power to you if you DO)
Those burgers just don't do much for my own personal taste buds... 
same with Hodad's in San Diego area; I used to like Hodad's better years back.. it's decent , IMO, but not "WOW
 
However, your CHAR GRILL in Raleigh pic has got me salivating !!! Now, THAT looks like one of my dream burgers !!!!  (right up there with my Stonewood Grill (Florida) burger, and my Brickyard Burger...
and my newest discovery , the Second Ave Grill in Lewes, Delaware...
 
great pics ,Dale!! (and even though I don't do SUSHI, those are real pretty pics, as well!!

Dale, it was just as much fun reading about your adventure as I had enjoying it with all of you.

One question though...

Diariamente?

And you still ate there?

Handcuffs? Oh just a throw back from my Adult Film Star Days when I used them in my movies. Hey, I was young, I was new to California, I was promised a legitimate film career and I was broke! Oh, you know the story. Seriously, as part of my training I was taught how to get out of handcuffs in a matter of seconds. This in case I was ever taken hostage. So far I’ve never have been but I have fun showing people just how fast I can get out of them. No they were not mine, the cuffs belonged to the local police officer I borrowed them from. He was amazed too. He then asked me for my credentials to prove who I was. I really enjoyed the time we all had together and this excellent Trip Report by Wondering Jew. Looking forward to the "Rest Of The Story" Thanks Dale!

Marlene--LOL.  It does look like you got some terrific Cal-Mex food Dale.  I'm going to show your carnitas tacos to Julie--she'll die.

Jay L

What makes you think its surimi?
All of the yelp.com reviews indicate this is real crab. I didn't talk with anyone of the employees  at Mako's, however I did speak with two different patrons while I was there- I asked the guy sitting next to me, he "heard" it was real crab but wasn't sure, then another patron overheard our conversation and stated that it was.

Ellen

I'm really surprised to hear this from you. If I recall you were the biggest fan and cheerleader for LA's so called "holy trinity" - In N Out, Tommy's and Apple Pan...

That's all I've been hearing about since the forum began over 6 years ago about how these places are the burger shrines of the nation....

It's funny, but I remember two specific examples where something similar happened. Back in 2003, I asked for recommendations in Williamsburg VA and everyone recommended Pierce's Pit BBQ and mentioned how wonderful it is, then after I went and concurred, the same people responded with how awful it is and that its a "tourist trap"

Then in 2005 I asked for recommendations for Savannah, everyone recommended Lady and Sons, and mentioned how much better it is than Ms Wilkes and how wonderful it is, and after I went and concurred, the same people that recommended it mentioned how lousy it was and that it's a tourist trap...

Ellen, if  these aren't the best burgers in LA, then which places are?

Nancy,

Potentially both the Taco and Burrito Joint could end up on a top 10 list at the end of the year- but theres more to come that could potentially as well...you'll just have to wait for parts 5 thru 9 to find out!

Mar

Hey at least they warn you in advance!

I think The Counter has a decent burger but I like to be able to hear when I eat.

I have tried Father's Office yet.

I like The Apple Pan but I worked a block away for 13 years.

Putting Apple Pan and In & Out in a new catagory...  I think they tie for the city's worst fries.

mar52


I think The Counter has a decent burger but I like to be able to hear when I eat.

I have tried Father's Office yet.

I like The Apple Pan but I worked a block away for 13 years.

Putting Apple Pan and In & Out in a new catagory...  I think they tie for the city's worst fries.

Mar,
 
In the initial planning stages I considered Father's office but wondered if getting a burger where others dictate what goes on it was apropriate for a first time experience. I had also considered The Counter too, but then decided why bother if they have one 90 minutes away  in Hartford CT.

mar52


Putting Apple Pan and In & Out in a new catagory...  I think they tie for the city's worst fries.

I only ate at In-N-Out once,  but I thought the fries were pretty poor, too.  So I didn't just have bad luck.  (It was busy, too.)

Wanderer, you're now interested in trying burgers in LA?  If only I'd known!  I also do not care for In'N'Out, Tommy's, or Apple Pan.  I do really like The Counter and Father's Office.  There's a new Father's Office in Culver City that's much larger than the one you walked by in Santa Monica.  Next time you're in town, we'll go there, for sure (they have excellent beers on draft, too).

Dale, I sure am glad you liked Los Cincos Puntos as much as we did.  My mother is Mexican, so I grew up eating all kinds of Tex-Mex and Mexican food.  Halfway through our taco at LCP, I called my mother just to tell her what she was missing!

Keep it coming, man!    Chris

My young nephew Says that Father's Office should be known as F.O.

Hey Chris!

Catosaurus

I'm not sure when I'll be back in LA, however If I'm there for the length of time that I was this time, sure I'd allow one meal for a couple of burgers. I would have no problem doing what I did on the last trip- trying half a burger at each place to allow for some diversity. I would certainly check out Fathers Office and Farmer Boys, another one on my initial list was Pie n Burger in Pasadena but it got mixed reviews on yelp.com  I just think LA is much much more, and in the next two and a half installments before I return to San Diego, you'll see what I mean...

Ayersian....

Stay tuned for the next installment another highlight will be heading your way, it's not Mexican but you'll see what I mean...

Dale, you were at Father's Office, and didn't go in for a beer?  I'm shocked...SHOCKED, I tell you!
   That is one of the greatest beer bars in all of California; indeed, in all of America!
   (Can anyone tell I've been reading Jane Austin this week?)

Part 5
Tuesday April 21

Another 90 degree day today but a little cooler at the coast I planned my day to make sure I'm back at the beach by mid afternoon.

During our dinner conversation the evening before, I decided to take a break from smoothies for one day.....I asked my dining companions for suggestions. I did indicate that I was interested in having a bowl of real Californa granola...Both Elise T and Morganen recommended



Home, a nice funky eatery in the Los Feliz neighborhood of LA with outdoor seating and a great atmosphere. I love the fish pond in the middle of the dining area, although I noticed what appeared to be a big dead lizard doing the dead man's float in the pond, the employees assured me it was rubber, since the fish weren't nibbling, I assumed they were right...

I had the "my sister the tree hugger" yes, that's what they call it on the menu

Home made granola



served with milk

 and for a few bucks more, fresh fruit....



the granola was loaded with nuts and raisins and had a sweet wholesome crunch even after sitting in milk....It was a filling breakfast and all I can say...is.....

NOW THAT'S ROADFOOD SO-CAL STYLE!!

I know, I know,  but you see I have to break into that tirade every once in a while...

just to see if a particular member's forehead veins will pop- but I see he hasn't been on the forum since 4/14!

By the way I did return to Urth Cafe for a quick takeout cuppa java and I'm glad I did because my only gripe about the coffee at Home was that it wasn't that great...

After breakfast I decided to head to...




LA's Farmer's Market

I've never been and I can never turn down a good farmers market....
Before checking out out the different stalls.. I noticed this..



No, I didnt' stop there..

I did enjoy checking out the assortment of various stalls..







Pit BBQ



and Korean BBQ





Hey, even dogs have a place to nosh..




I also enjoyed the outdoor mall area as well..






This was somewhat reminscent of Country Club Plaza in Kansas City

I did not eat anything at the Farmers Market, I wasn't hungy and was saving my appetite for lunch...and a return to the Barrio...

My first stop was...



Sergio's Tacos in Commerce City - just East of East LA

I looked at the menu board



and decided to go with the Al Pastor Tacos..



Not quite as big as the Tacos at los cinco puntos (and thats a good thing when you're having two lunches), however even though the soft corn tortillas were not home made, the tacos were quite flavorful, I specifically liked the Salsa...


Next up lunch stop # 2



Al and Bea's in the Boyle Heights section of LA

I did take a look at the menu board, but sought of already knew what I wanted



I went with


The Combo Burrito
After cutting it in half, it was somewhat messy and not nearly the size of the mostrosity I had the day before at El Tepeyac, but it was still good, and just the right size to finish it all...

Across the street from Al & Bea's, I noticed this cool old funky drugstore and had to get a photo



After lunch I decided to get outta dodge and return to Redondo Beach it was much cooler there- in the upper 70's...I returned at 3pm and spent the afternoon, soaking in the sun (with sunblock of course- hey how else do I maintain my baby smooth face!)



after relaxing for an hour- I got restless and took a walk over to the pier...



I know what you're thinking, I did not deliberately want to take a photo of that.....
TRUST ME!!!

The pier was pretty cool
A mixture of souvenir shops, bars and restaurants...



There were even some folks fishing off the pier



and you can even dock your boats there..



I spent well over an hour walking around.....I did find one bar that had multi beer taps, unfortunately they were closed preparing for a festival the next day, there was another Irish Bar that had a couple of local beers on tap- perfect for after dinner tonight...

I waited about an hour before heading back into town with hopes that rush hour traffic would subside....I had two planned dinner stops- luckily they were in the same neighborhood and only a couple of miles away from each other...

Thankfully traffic came to a screaching hault only 4 or 5 miles from my destination, so I was able to put the GPS in action and get off the freeway and onto the surface roads...

First stop...




Zankou Chicken

This wasn't on the schedule, however, the night before, Elise T insisted that I check this out referring to Zankou's garlic chicken sauce as "crack"....

It was my assumption that this local chain was an Armenian Restaurant, Elise T said they actually are Lebanese owned, however I was really confused when I saw a sign indicating that they would be closing for Armenian Independence Day (or some similar holiday) so I think my initial assumption was correct...
I decided to get...



the 1/4 white meat chicken...My initial assumption was that the garlic chicken would be an olive oil infused rosemary garlic concoction...as it turns out it was more or less a "garlic spread" almost like cream cheese that came in a separate cup...(sorry no photos) when it was served that way an air of familiarity struck me....

You see Rhode Island has a big Armenian population, growing up on Long Island I used to think the entire nation of Armenian Americans were contained in Woodside Queens...Anyway what I had at Zankou was identical to what is served here in Rhode Island at the Armenian Church Festivals...
The chicken was tender and the garlic "spread" was good but chalk this experience up to the "been there/done that category"
The meal came with delicious hummous and what appeared to be some bizarre salad that tasted like cucumber but looked different.

A couple of miles up the road in the same West LA neighborhood was dinner stop
#2




The California Roll Factory..

This is not a Japanese Restaurant....this is not a Yuppie or Trendy Sushi Joint, this is LA....this is the real deal....this is the truly "only in LA" unique experience I've been looking for....

I know, some of you are going to ask....but can't you get....and again before you can finish your sentence, the answer is an emphatic NO!
This experience does not exist outside of Southern California, I haven't seen it in Boston, or New York or here in Rhode Island or even Seattle....
I showed the photos of what you're about to see to one of my sushi eating co workers and all he could do was stare glassy eyed at the computer screen and say...."WOW"

First of all the wall is covered with menu choices- the menu is quite creative...many of the rolls are named after patrons who I'm assuming created some of these colorful  concoctions....












after looking at the menu, over and over again, I decided to order two rolls..

first....



The Chenzo Roll....it tasted even better than it looks! Consisting of shrimp tempura, avocado , crab, tempura crumb and eel sauce (which is like a thick sweet teriyaki sauce) it was sweet n crunchy yet did not overwhelm the seafood or the creamy avocado....it was fantastic....

My second roll arrived shortly afterwards...



The "Mike" Roll...yes, I'm assuming it was named after someone named mike...and yes it was deep fried... and contained, tuna crab and asparagus and comes with ...




a sinfully rich n creamy "secret sauce"....I can't tell you what's in it- but it was magnificent....

These rolls tasted like addictive "dim sum" not sushi or any California Roll I've ever had.

Here are the "sushi roll" chefs actively creating their masterpieces...



As you can tell, I really enjoyed this place...If you're anywhere in the LA area, I suggest you go...you don't have to "eat sushi" or be concerned about raw fish  to truly enjoy this place...I can assure you this is as far from "traditional" sushi as you can get....
If this isn't roadfood- LA style, then I don't know what is!!

Ok....after my orgasmic meal, I returned back to Redondo Beach....went to that Irish Bar...had a local (actually a Northern Cal) brew called Firestone....actually I had two of them and watched the end of the Lakers Game...Afterwards I walked back to my hotel and called it a night...
Part 6....tommorow....

I have to say, those rolls look fantastic.  Lotsa cooked stuff I could have.

Dale!  I can't believe how you traipsed all over LA!

I don't think you missed anything except for the museum and a couple of hamburgers.

Zankou's is absolutely Armenian.  There was a family murder in that company that made all the news.  

Interesting enough is that Zankou's is Armenian and Ayersian is not.

I had mentioned Al and Bea's to you and I'm glad that you made it.  That's neighborhood good eating.  Notice any policemen while there?  The Hollenbeck Division is right there.  That's a very busy division.

The food at the LA Famer's Market isn't anything special although I do like Dupar's.  Dupar's is a small chain that serves melted butter with their pancakes.  Swoooon.

Some trivia about the Redondo Pier.  It used to be much larger.  A horrible fire took two thirds of it years ago.  Did you go downstairs to the fresh fish market?  I used to go there for the crab and clams.  You point to what you want, pay by the pound and they'll cook/steam it for you.  You rent a wooden mallet and when you're done you get your deposit back when you return the mallet.  Messy, smelly and delicious.

I'm so glad that we had nice weather while you were here. It had been overcast and cold the week before.

Your pictures and narration are superb and I can't wait to see where you went next.

Oh... those sushi rolls look orgasmic.  I can hit that place on the way home from work.

Think I have a plan!

As always, an interesting report.

You know what, you could actually use Dale as a weight loss program. If you can keep up with him, you can eat all you want, eat some fantastic foods, see the world and still get to take a picture of a womens butt on the beach. Oh yes and keep that baby soft skin he was talking about too! Extra benifit is the love of many adoring Roadfood Fans!

wanderingjew


Part 5
Tuesday April 21

I had the "my sister the tree hugger" yes, that's what they call it on the menu

Home made granola

served with milk

and for a few bucks more, fresh fruit....

the granola was loaded with nuts and raisins and had a sweet wholesome crunch even after sitting in milk....It was a filling breakfast and all I can say...is.....

After breakfast I decided to head to...


LA's Farmer's Market

I did enjoy checking out the assortment of various stalls..

 
After that breakfast I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise...
 
Brad

This is a fun and great report by all of you on the west coast.I have loved the reports and pics.I am not a dessert eater, but by far,that little red cake took the show.And thanks , Glenn, for the Velveeta poem. Laughed alot....

Outstanding report so far WJ!  Not enough to forgive you for failing to eat a slice of pie at Du Par's, but outstanding nonetheless!
 
Brad Olsen- 

Dale, I can't believe that you were only 3 blocks from my home!  I live very close to that California Roll Factory you visited.  There's an amazing variety of dining options in the neighborhood.  A couple of blocks farther east (toward the 405 Freeway) is Dolores, a remnant of the SoCal drive-in culture in the 40s/50s.  Dolores used to have a well-known drive-in at the intersection of La Cienega and Wilshire Blvd., but it was torn down in the 1981.  The location that now exists still serves some of their original items, including suzy-q fries, which are spiral cut.  Here's their website:

http://www.doloresrestaurant.com/index.php